


Hard To Know

by TribalMoogle



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-24 14:10:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14357100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TribalMoogle/pseuds/TribalMoogle
Summary: The happiest day of your life was when you were sworn into the Crownsguard. You had worked hard to get there and finally felt worthy of something. You finally had a purpose. You weren’t that poor street orphan anymore, you were a protector of the whole kingdom.Your duty is all that matters…





	1. Dutybound

**Author's Note:**

> So, I thought I'd do another Gladio/Reader insert. We'll see how we go...

To say you have trouble opening up to others is an understatement on the best of days. The only one with so much of a inkling of your rough past is Ignis. You imagine this is because of the way you both take your jobs so seriously. His similar sensibilities have caused you to let your guard down more than you’ve care to admit.

“Regis give you another treaty to look over?” You ask as you pour some Ebony for the two of you. You’ve grown quite fond of your coffee breaks. 

“Yes, the rough draft has a few errors that needed addressing, but it shouldn’t take long to fix.” He shuffles his papers to the side and gingerly grabs the cup you offer him. “Thank you.”

“You know, it took some time, but I think I’m finally coming around to this stuff.” You sip your drink as Ignis smiles proudly.

Gladio blasts the door open. “Hey Ignis, you got a sec?” He spies you and his whole demeanor changes. He goes from open, charismatic friend to rigid, commanding superior officer.

You get the hint, and not wanting to be reprimanded or to be thought of as a slacker, you take your leave. “Thanks for the coffee, but I should really get back.”

“A pleasure as always.” Ignis smiles warmly at you and you do the same. You turn to Gladio and put on your best soldier face. You nod curtly to him as you leave. 

“You two sure seem to spend a lot of time together.” Gladio muses with a hint of jealously rumbling through his voice. 

Ignis raises an eyebrow. “Not nearly as much as you do I would imagine.”

“You would think…” Gladio lets out softly. 

“Is something the matter Gladio?”

Gladio shifts uncomfortably, normally he was fine with how blunt Ignis could be, but this situation was a bit more… sensitive. “How much do you know about her?” 

“She takes her responsibilities very seriously. She is one of the most competent and capable soldiers in the guard.”

“Yeah, I know that, but what else?”

“Are you referring to her personal life?” He asks with a hint of judgement.

“She doesn’t say a lot.” He offers despondently. “And she never comes out for drinks.”

“It appears to me that she likes to keep work separate from her private life.”

“Well you’re just full of helpful information, aren’t you?” He bites back.

“What is it you want to know Gladio? She’s under your charge, surely you can think of _some_ way to get the answers you seek.”

Gladio goes to protest but a spark of an idea flashes through his eyes. “You know what,” he says with a smirk, “I think you’re right.”

He saunters out as Ignis shakes his head in exasperation.

\------------------------------ 

Late nights in the training hall are a common thing for you, and you love the solitude it provides. While the others are out drinking, you’re still hard at work. 

However, this night is a bit different. 10 pm on a Friday is not usually the time you see people dropping by for a workout, but that doesn’t stop Gladio from entering the hall. 

You wonder why he’s not out with everyone else, but you take the hint and cede immediately to him so that he can have the hall to himself. 

“Sorry, I’ll get out of your way,” you say as you begin to grab your things.

“Wait,” he begins tentatively. “How about a match?”

You eye him up and discover that he’s serious. You can’t help but feel a bit honored that he sees you as enough of an equal to request a fight. You set your jacket back down. “Sure.” You agree before taking a much needed drink. 

“What do you say we make it a little more interesting…” He offers.

You raise an eyebrow, urging him to continue.

“If I win, I take you out on a date.”

You spray water over the bench and begin to choke. His self satisfied grin wavers with a bit of concern. 

“A date?” You finally rasp out. “Why the hell would you wanna go on a date with _me_?” The words come out more self deprecating than you really intended.

He offers you a sly grin. “Let’s just call it curiosity for now.”

You furrow your brow. _This guy isn’t making any fucking sense._ “What do I get if I win?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” He teases. “You get to tell everyone you kicked my ass.” His grin plasters itself back on his face. 

You smirk right on back. _It would be pretty great to boast about that._ “Alright, you’re on.” The two of you square off. 

He’s got you on muscle and strength, but you’re quick and scrappy. Still, you’ll have to adjust your technique if you really want to win this thing. 

Without any warning, he throws a punch. You block and the shock has your arms tingling. _He’s not holding back. So neither will I._

You duck down and blast upwards with an uppercut to his midsection. He lets out a huff that has you grinning with success. 

Not to be outdone, he hooks your leg with his and sends you to the ground. You roll out of the way just as he’s about to elbow you in place. 

You snap up and kick your leg to his lower back, knocking him to the floor. He grabs your foot and yanks you down. Your head hits hard. He crawls towards you but makes the mistake of letting go of your foot. 

You knee him in the neck and push him onto his back. You have him pinned. An arrogant smile crosses your face. You’re already thinking about how you’re gonna gloat to everyone tomorrow when he shifts underneath you. 

“I don’t think so,” he huffs as he adjusts his body weight, slips out of your grasp and pins you, face down on the ground. For good measure, he even holds your wrists behind your back. You wriggle as much as you can, but he’s got you immobilized. 

“Damnit!” You scream out. Gladio releases you. You stand and rub your wrists. 

“You had me worried there for a second,” he teases playfully.

You punch the floor mat hard enough to send an echoing smack across the room. “Son of a bitch!” You breathe out between your clenched teeth. 

You feel the tension you’ve created and look up to see his eyes go wide. Shit, now you’ve really made a mess and scared the crap out of him. His fear quickly transitions to something more unsettling. “You really that pissed about having to go out with me?”

That’s not it at, and you feel bad about making him think that. “No… I just… really hate losing.” You clench your fists and try to calm your adrenaline pumping nerves. 

His playful grin returns. “Me too.”


	2. It's A Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis gives you some fashion advice and you go on your date with Gladio.

You absently swirl your coffee as you sit in Ignis’s office. Gladio’s win over you still has you a bit pissed, but it’s more than that.

“Is something the matter?” Ignis queries as he shuffles some papers. 

“Huh? What? No, it’s nothing.” You hurriedly take a sip to avoid more questions. 

“Very well…”

“Okay, here’s the thing,” you blurt out before you can stop yourself. “What the hell do you wear on a date?”

“I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.” He fails to conceal his shock. 

Your cheeks instantly flare. “I’m not. Not really. I just, lost a bet.”

“And the consequence was going out on a date?”

“Yeah.” You fold your arms and pout.

“May I inquire as to who you will be going on this date with?”

You shift in your seat before responding just above a whisper. “Gladio.”

Ignis smirks, a bit proud of his friend for having found a way to get to know you after all. Though, judging from your response, Gladio certainly has his work cut out for him. 

“Stop it!” You fume at him. 

“Apologies. I didn’t mean to make fun. You should feel honored. He doesn’t actually ask out many women.”

“I feel like it’s some sort of weird test. Like if I don’t get everything right, then I’m gonna be kicked out of the guard.”

“I highly doubt that’s the case.”

“Then why put me up to it?”

Ignis’s sighs at your inability to see yourself how others do. “Back to your original question, depending on what the date entails, I suppose you would be best served with some sort of feminine attire. A dress or skirt perhaps.”

You eye him incredulously. “Do I _look_ like the kinda girl that owns either of those?”

Ignis counters with his own annoyance. “Then in your case something without any blood, sweat or dirt should suffice.”

You plop your head in your hand. “Ugh, I really don’t want to go shopping.”

Ignis smiles as he continues to take far too much delight in your predicament.

\------------------------------ 

You managed to find one clean pair of jeans and a shirt that looked clean enough and smelled fine. You hit it with some fabric freshener just to be sure. Other than your Crownsguard boots, the only pair of shoes you have are some running shoes, so that was an easy choice at least.

You survey yourself in the mirror. You look pretty normal from what you can tell, but on the inside you’re a mess. Gladio gave you no indication as to what he was planning other than a cryptic: _be ready for some fun._

What the hell does that man do for fun? What if it’s not your kind of fun? What if you end up embarrassing yourself and getting kicked out of the guard and then-

A knock comes at the door. “Hey, you in there?” Gladio bellows from the other side.

You take a deep breath and ready all your determination. _This is just another battle, granted a really messed up one that you have no experience in, but you can do this._ With your confidence sufficiently boosted, you head over. 

You open the door and almost don’t recognize him. Leather jacket over a black tank top and crisp white pants paired with some sleek brown shoes. His cologne hits you next, but it’s not overwhelming just… pleasant. He looks softer somehow. More approachable. All you can do is stare in shock. 

He smiles warmly to you. “You clean up good.” It’s enough to pull you out of your shock, but just barely. Right now, he doesn’t seem like your commanding officer, he just seems like a guy… and a pretty good looking one at that. _Wait, what the hell’s the matter with you? This is Gladio and some kind of bizarre test. Focus._

“Yeah, you too.” You stammer out. He gives you a wink and ushers you out to the hall.

“You ready?” He asks playfully.

“Yes?” You reply cautiously.

“That doesn’t sound very convincing.”

“Well are you gonna tell me what I’m in for?”

He laughs. “Hell no. That would ruin the surprise.”

You groan internally. “Well then, I guess I’m as ready as I can be.”

“That’s the spirit!” He bounds off delightedly as you trudge behind.

\------------------------------ 

He opens the car door for you and ushers you inside. His hand ghosts your back as you sit down. _What is he playing at?_

He hops in the other side, starts the engine and drives off. His jaw clenches in extreme concentration as he drives. Even with the radio playing softly in the background, it’s unnerving. You glance around the car. He’s either a neat freak or just took the car in. It’s immaculate. The leather shines with a fresh coat of polish and the hanging air freshener gives everything a crisp apple scent.

“Like what you see?” He asks playfully. 

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be nosy. The car’s nice.” You clasp your hands in your lap and stare forward. Out of the corner of your eye, you swear you see him smirking. 

A few minutes later you find yourself pulling into a downtown parking garage. He pulls the car into a well lit area and kills the engine. You unbuckle your seat belt and go to open the door.

“Wait.” He bellows. You freeze, unsure if that was a command or a suggestion. He races around the car and opens the door for you again. _Did he really just run around to open my freaking door for me?_ It makes you feel like an incompetent fool who can’t be trusted to do things right. 

The two of you walk to the building and he gets that door for you there as well. You can’t stand it anymore. “I can do that myself, you know.” You say with more than a hint of annoyance.

His brow knits as he turns to you. “Do you not know chivalry when you see it?” 

“What?” 

“I know you can take care of yourself. But it’s called being a gentleman.” 

You look at him as if he’s speaking a different language. Suddenly, it clicks. “Wait, so this is a _date_? Like a date, date?” 

“You just figuring that out now? What did you think was going on?” 

“I dunno. I thought it was some weird test or something. Like maybe the other members conned you into it.” 

“Hey, that was my bet fair and square that I won, don’t put it on anybody else.” 

“I still don’t get it.” 

“Get what?” 

“Why you’d wanna take me out?” 

“I want you to loosen up and have some fun for a change. You’re so serious all the time and you play things close to the chest. Guess I just wanted to know what cards you were holding.” He says it so sincerely that you can’t help but believe it. 

However, you still have trouble processing why the hell anyone would be interested in you. “Come on, we’re just getting to the good stuff.” He beams.

\------------------------------ 

You had no idea what to expect, but you certainly weren’t expecting this. The man has taken you to an arcade. It’s been years since you visited one, but it used to be one of your favorite places to go. You can’t help the smile growing on your face.

Gladio gives himself a self satisfied grin. “I thought you might like something like this, seeing as you’re so competitive.”

“You guessed right. This used to be one of my favorite places to go as a kid.” Your smiles freezes as you realize you’ve accidentally let some personal information slip out. Even Ignis doesn’t know that about you. _Shit, shit, shit. What do I do? Maybe he won’t notice._

“Same,” he says with a smile, letting your comment fall to the wayside. 

_Thank you._ You sigh in relief. Just as you’ve let yourself relax, he grabs your hand and pulls you through walls of games. 

“This way, I’ve got something special lined up.” _Why is he holding my hand? Why do I kind of like it? Where are we going? When will this make sense?_

He stops you in front of a laser tag room. He eyes it proudly and looks for your response. 

“Really?” You try and keep your excitement at bay. 

“You and me. One on one. No bets, just bragging rights.” He holds out one of the toy pistols to you.

You twirl it around your finger and grin back to him. “You’re on.”

\------------------------------ 

You two get suited up in the waiting area and you can already feel your adrenaline pumping. You always get way too worked up over silly competitive games like this, but who cares. You haven’t been this excited in a long time.

“So,” you ask as you tighten up your chest plate. “We have any ground rules?”

Gladio gives you a toothy grin. “All’s fair in love and war.” He winks at you. 

_You are so going down buddy!_ You go to your starting positions and wait for the buzzer to go off. The blood pumps in your ears and your nerves tingle with anticipation. 

BEEP! The alarm sounds and you’re off. Disappearing into corners and sliding through shadows, the stealth portion of the game is one you love. You peek around a corner and spy him lurking about. You whistle at him and get him square in the chest as he turn around. 

“You dirty dog.” He bolts after you. You zig zag around corners and disappear again. He runs past and you back track the way he came to attack his command post. You make yourself comfortable and smile with pride at every victorious buzz that chimes through your gun as you assault his target. 

Suddenly, your own vest vibrates and flashes. “Son of a bitch, he’s doing the same thing.” You dash back to your own base only to find it deserted. You put your back to your command post and scan the area for Gladio. 

“Thought that might get your attention.” His voice comes from above, as he dangles over the wall. _How the hell did he get up there?_ You have just enough time to roll and dodge before he jumps down on you. He fires wide and misses. You zip down the maze of walls, desperate to lure him away from your base. 

You study the walls around you. _If he can get up there, so can I._ The walls are just close enough for you to brace yourself between them. You crawl up, a few feet above head height and wait. You keep your gun holstered and shift your weight every so often to avoid cramps. 

He seems to be taking forever and your limbs are just about to fail when he rounds the corner under you. You grab your gun with your right hand and get ready to move. “Heads up, big guy.” You boast with as much cocky exuberance as you can. 

He looks up and you strike him right in the chest. You celebrate a bit too enthusiastically and lose your grip. You fall on top of him, both crashing hard to the floor. 

You’re both a tangled mess and you can barely make up from down. You spy the timer clock running down and place your gun to his chest plate as you pull the trigger. 

BEEP! The timer goes out and your erupt in laughter. You can’t remember the last time you had so much fun. He joins you. You both sit on the floor, laughing like idiots. 

“That was a ballsy move.” He quips commendably. 

“Well, I learned from the best.” You applaud him back.

He smiles boldly and his his eyes take on a mischievous spark. You suddenly become more aware of your body position. You’re on his left leg, practically sitting in his lap. You hadn’t noticed until just now, but he’s holding you in place by gripping your hip with his hand. It’s startling, but what’s even more startling is the fact that you don’t really seem to mind. You find yourself actually enjoying the sensation. 

As your breathing evens out, you get a stronger intake of his cologne. Your eyes close and your heart races. Maybe it’s the comedown from the adrenaline high, or maybe it’s something else… 

You open your eyes and they lock with Gladio’s. He stares at you hungrily with dilated pupils. You feel him lean in to you. _Oh, shit._

You jump up. ”Let’s go see how bad I whooped your ass!” Before he can even answer, you speed to the entrance grateful to have thwarted a close call of whatever that was. You chastise yourself for not keeping things in check. _What the hell’s gotten into you?_

You’ve already returned your gear and surveyed the battle report by the time Gladio returns. He seems a bit frazzled, but you rationalize it as adrenaline leaving his body. When he’s returned all his gear, you shove the report in his face.

“Read ‘me and weep, sucker!” You boast. Finally able to have the upper hand on him.

He grabs the paper and chuckles. “Look at that, you finally beat me.”

“There’ll be more where that came from.” Your winning high has you buzzing.

“You think so?” He eggs you on.

“Absolutely.”

You spend the next three hours bouncing from game to game alternating from winning to losing, but you find yourself not caring so much about the outcome as much at the reaction from Gladio.

\------------------------------ 

The car ride back is an extreme juxtaposition to the fun you both just had at the arcade. Back in a normal world setting, you find yourself unable to say anything to him.

He walks you to your door. “Thanks for all this.” You push out.

“Anytime.” He says warmly.

You play with your keys to ease the awkward tension. _What the hell am I supposed to do here?_

“So,” he nervously runs a hand through his hair. “What d’ya say we do this again sometime?”

“What?”

“You had a good time, right?”

“Yeah, but-“

“And so, when two people have a good time on a date, they usually go out again.”

His logic makes sense, but it’s having trouble computing in your brain. 

“If you’re worried about work, don’t be. We can keep it quiet. Besides, the guys know better than to give me shit about my personal life. So?”

“Uh… yes?” You’re not sure what exactly you’re agreeing to.

“Unconvincing again, but I’ll take it.” He smiles, leans in, gives you a soft kiss on the cheek and saunters off without a care in the world. 

You drop your keys to the floor as your hand goes limp. _What the fuck just happened?!_


End file.
